INTERNACIONAL
Famed filmmaker presses Democrats to put ‘citizen-led’ presidential primary first
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NEWFIELDS, N.H. — Ken Burns, the esteemed filmmaker whose popular documentaries chronicle American history and culture, has a message for the Democratic Party.
Burns is urging Democrats to restore his home state of New Hampshire as the lead-off primary in the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) 2028 presidential nominating calendar.
New Hampshire had held the lead-off presidential primary for both Democrats and Republicans for a century, and while the GOP adhered to tradition in the last race for the White House, the DNC upended their calendar, placing South Carolina ahead of the Granite State.
The move was an unwanted distraction for Democrats during the 2024 primaries, and the DNC is now starting to discuss which states will lead off its 2028 calendar, when the party aims to win back the White House in the race to succeed term-limited Republican President Donald Trump.
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Ken Burns speaks onstage during the New York premiere of PBS’s «The American Revolution,» on Sept. 18, 2025, in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Burns, who lives in the small southwestern New Hampshire town of Walpole, wrote a letter to the DNC’s Rules & Bylaws Committee, which oversees the party’s primary calendar, on the eve of that panel’s meeting in Puerto Rico to begin considering applications by New Hampshire and nearly a dozen states to hold an early primary in 2028.
«I’m writing to you today both as a Granite Stater who has witnessed firsthand how New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Primary has helped move our democracy forward, and a historical filmmaker who, in this particularly challenging moment, is concerned for the future of our country and believes that New Hampshire’s citizen-led, First in the Nation primary remains indispensable for this moment,» Burns wrote in the letter, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
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In the letter, which was first reported by WMUR-TV in New Hampshire, Burns emphasized, «I know of no people better suited to help begin the journey to maintain true freedom, to re-light that sacred fire, than the people of the Live Free or Die State. That’s why we need New Hampshire’s citizen-led, First in the Nation Primary, where everyday people can be heard. For in the strength of everyday citizens, there is no better or equal hope in our world.»
A sign marking New Hampshire’s century-old traditional role in holding the first-in-the-nation presidential primary is located across the street from the state’s capitol, in Concord, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley, who’s a member of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee and is attending the meeting in Puerto Rico, told Fox News Digital that «Ken Burns is a beloved, internationally respected storyteller of America. Ken is trusted, he knows his stuff, he speaks with such clarity and authority that he gets people to sit up and listen.»
«Ken makes a powerful statement in support of New Hampshire’s presidential primary that will resonate with my colleagues,» Buckley predicted.
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National Democrats for years had knocked both Iowa — whose caucuses for 50 years led off the party’s nominating calendar until 2024 — and New Hampshire as unrepresentative of the party as a whole because the states have largely white populations with few major urban areas. Nevada and South Carolina, which in recent cycles voted third and fourth on the calendar, are much more diverse than either Iowa or New Hampshire. Nevada and South Carolina were added to the Democratic calendar two decades ago to increase the diversity of the early states’ electorate.
The Democratic National Committee is expected to decide on the order of its 2028 presidential nominating calendar later this year. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
But New Hampshire Democrats have long pushed back, saying the state’s rich tradition of grassroots, retail politics, its well-informed electorate, its high percentage of voter participation and its longtime status as a key general election swing state make it the perfect locale to hold the first-in-the-nation primary.
After the DNC removed New Hampshire from the top of their 2024 calendar, putting the state second along with Nevada, the Granite State still moved to the head of the line. Adhering to a nearly half-century-old law that mandates the Granite State to hold the first presidential primary a week ahead of any similar contest, New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan scheduled the Democratic and GOP presidential primary contests for Jan. 23, 2024.
The Democratic contest, which was held before South Carolina and Nevada, ended up being an unsanctioned election, with the DNC banning the state’s delegates from attending that summer’s nominating convention. The DNC later made peace with New Hampshire, and reinstated their convention delegates.
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The Rules and Bylaws Committee isn’t expected to decide on the 2028 calendar until later this year.
The rival Republican National Committee, as Fox News Digital first reported last week, at its winter meeting took the first formal step in keeping the GOP’s 2028 calendar the same, with the Iowa caucuses kicking off the nominating process followed by New Hampshire’s primary.
presidential primaries,democratic party,democrats elections,elections,new hampshire,republicans elections
INTERNACIONAL
Iran could ‘activate’ Hezbollah if US targets regime, Trump’s inner circle to decide: expert
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened control over Hezbollah in the Middle East amid looming prospects of potential U.S. strikes, according to reports.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military confrontation in the region, with analysts warning that if Washington specifically strikes the regime, Hezbollah is ready to be «activated.»
«If the regime in Tehran feels threatened, the likelihood of unleashing Hezbollah against Israel and U.S. regional assets increases substantially,» Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
«Hezbollah would not be activated right away, unless the attack immediately targets the leadership of the Islamic Republic. But as part of a graduated response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,» he said.
«If it faces an existential risk, then Iran may throw caution to the wind and try to deploy Hezbollah to the maximum,» Harrison, author of «Decoding Iran’s Foreign Policy» explained.
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«As part of a graduated response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,» Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump previously gave Iran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to respond to a deal, raising questions about what steps Washington could take if Tehran fails to comply.
A new round of talks is now scheduled for Thursday in Geneva and expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.
«The decision-making circle in the White House is very small regarding Iran, with the president keeping a close hand on it all,» Harrison explained.
He added that any decision to directly target the Iranian regime would likely rest within Trump’s inner circle of advisers.
«Normally there is input from the National Security Council and the wider intelligence community,» Harrison said. «Since the decision-making process in the White House is opaque, it is hard to know how much of this is getting through.»
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
Another round of talks between the U.S. and Iran is slated for Thursday in Geneva. (Getty Images)
«If the U.S. is engaging with the Saudis and Emiratis, they are getting warnings about the possibility of this war spreading to the broader region, which would be deleterious to the U.S. and its allies,» he added.
Harrison also warned that there was «potential for attacks to spread across the region, to Israel through direct Iranian ballistic attacks and via Hezbollah, and to the Gulf Arab states through Iran directly and possibly via the Houthis from Yemen.»
Regional media reports also suggest Iran’s ties with Hezbollah are strengthening. Sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that IRGC officers have been rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and managing strategic war plans.
The coordination follows changes within Hezbollah’s leadership, Harrison explained.
«Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,» he said.
«The IRGC has supported Hezbollah in Lebanon for decades,» he said, adding that efforts to reestablish ties appear to be occurring «particularly in light of the destruction of Iran’s nuclear sites last June.»
IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS
«Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,» Harrison said. (Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
«Iran is trying to resurrect lost assets, such as its missile program and its connections to Hezbollah,» Harrison said.
«Hezbollah has been seen for decades by Iran as a deterrence asset against an Israeli or American attack. Since Hezbollah has its own interests, connected to but separate from Iran, whether its leadership will go all the way for Tehran is unknown,» he concluded.
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The developments surrounding Hezbollah and the IRGC came as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed close ally Ali Larijani as the country’s de facto leader, according to reports.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
middle east,iran,ali khamenei,donald trump,middle east foreign policy,israel,lebanon
INTERNACIONAL
Ruud Gullit y la historia de su rechazo a un gigante de Europa que terminó definiendo su carrera: “Era demasiado pronto”
En la historia del fútbol, existen decisiones que alteran el rumbo de una carrera y, en ocasiones, de un deporte entero. El caso de Ruud Gullit y su rechazo al Arsenal cuando apenas tenía 17 años es uno de esos episodios poco conocidos, pero fundamentales, que definieron el destino de una de las mayores leyendas del fútbol neerlandés.
La propia voz del protagonista permite entender cómo ese “no” a tiempo marcó la diferencia y abrió una trayectoria irrepetible.
A finales de los años setenta, Ruud Gullit brillaba en el HFC Haarlem, club de la liga neerlandesa, cuando recibió una propuesta que cambiaría su perspectiva profesional. “Cuando tenía 17 años, escuché que el Arsenal quería ficharme”, relató el exfutbolista a Gambling Insider, citado por FourFourTwo. En ese momento, el club londinense contaba con la observación de Liam Brady como ojeador y ya había iniciado negociaciones con el Haarlem.
La magnitud de la oferta era inusual para un futbolista tan joven que apenas comenzaba a destacar en su país natal. “Era un privilegio que un club tan grande se interesara por mí a esa edad, pero era demasiado pronto para dar ese salto en mi carrera, así que lo rechacé”, explicó el propio Gullit, subrayando que la decisión no se debió a falta de ambición, sino a una evaluación racional de su desarrollo personal y futbolístico. “Simplemente no quería mudarme al club en ese momento”, añadió el exjugador.
La determinación de Gullit lo llevó a permanecer algunos años más en Haarlem antes de buscar el siguiente paso adecuado para su evolución.
Tras su negativa al Arsenal, Gullit continuó su formación en los Países Bajos. En 1982, firmó con el Feyenoord, donde compartió vestuario con el legendario Johan Cruyff y logró el doblete de liga y copa en su segunda temporada. Este proceso de maduración resultó clave para su posterior explosión en la élite. “Terminé pasando algunos años más en Haarlem antes de irme al Feyenoord, lo que sentí que era el movimiento correcto para mí”, reconoció.
La progresión no se detuvo en Rotterdam. En 1985, Gullit pasó al PSV Eindhoven, consolidando su estatus como una de las figuras emergentes del fútbol europeo. Su talento atrajo la atención del AC Milan, que en 1987 rompió el récord mundial de traspasos para asegurarse sus servicios. Ese mismo año, ganó el Balón de Oro, y su llegada a Italia marcó el inicio de una etapa dorada tanto a nivel individual como colectivo.
Durante su etapa en el AC Milan, Gullit conquistó tres títulos de la Serie A y dos Copas de Europa, siendo pieza central en el resurgimiento del club lombardo y en la consolidación de la liga italiana como epicentro del fútbol mundial.
Además, lideró a la selección de los Países Bajos en la obtención de la Eurocopa 1988. Este camino de gloria difícilmente habría sido igual si, en su adolescencia, hubiese optado por la oferta del Arsenal.
Mientras alcanzaba la cima en Italia y Europa, el Arsenal vivía sus propios procesos de reconstrucción. El club londinense celebró títulos de liga en 1989 y 1991, pero los aficionados aún se preguntan cómo habría influido la presencia de un joven Gullit en el equipo durante los años ochenta. La pregunta sobre el impacto potencial de una decisión tan temprana sigue vigente entre los hinchas y analistas británicos.
En 1995, tras una exitosa etapa en Italia, Gullit dejó la Sampdoria para unirse al Chelsea inglés, ya en el tramo final de su carrera, donde se convirtió en jugador-entrenador y logró la FA Cup.
Su paso por Inglaterra llegó mucho después de aquel primer contacto con el fútbol británico, reafirmando la importancia de aquel rechazo inicial al Arsenal. “Era demasiado pronto para mí. Necesitaba estar preparado y crecer antes de afrontar un reto fuera de los Países Bajos”, sentenció el neerlandés en sus declaraciones.
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A government shutdown, big or small, is usually a front-and-center issue for lawmakers — but the most recent partial closure could be put on the back burner as Congress returns to several issues in Washington.
Senate Democrats and the White House are still at odds over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the shutdown dragged into its tenth day. Neither side is budging, with the most recent concrete action coming early last week.
Trump, who proved pivotal in striking a funding truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in January, was not directly involved in recent negotiations.
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President Donald Trump has not had any «direct conversations or correspondence» with congressional Democrats recently. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press )
Trump has not had any «direct conversations or correspondence» with congressional Democrats recently, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, noting that the White House and its representatives have been handling the dialogue.
«But, of course, Democrats are the reason that the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down,» she said. «They have chosen to act against the American people for political reasons.»
Senate Democrats offered a counter to the White House’s own counterproposal, which quickly was rejected as «unserious» by Leavitt. It’s a peculiar instance, given that this is the third shutdown during Trump’s second term, and neither side appears to be in a particular rush to end it.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have not relented in their position as DHS enters its tenth day of being shut down. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that there’s «some room for give and take» in the negotiations, but remained firm in the GOP’s positioning against requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from getting judicial warrants, unmasking or other reforms sought by Democrats that could increase risks for agents in the field.
«I felt like, you know, the last offer the White House put out there was a really — it was a good faith one, and it was clear to me that they’re attempting, in every way, to try and land this thing so we can get DHS funded,» Thune said.
Funding the agency will be a top priority for the upper chamber, but they’ll be delayed because of winter storms descending on the East Coast. The weather has caused the Senate to delay a vote on the original DHS spending bill until Tuesday night, ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address.
There are other issues that could get in the way of hashing out a deal, including a possible conflict with Iran and Trump’s desire to move ahead with tariffs without congressional approval.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned that Senate Democrats were trying to tie up Republicans from hitting the campaign trail ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterm cycle. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Trump told reporters Friday that he was «considering» a limited military strike against Iran, which already has riled up some in Congress, who are demanding that lawmakers get a say on whether the U.S. strikes.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement that he has a war powers resolution to block an attack on Iran filed and ready, and challenged his colleagues to vote against it.
«If some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,» Kaine said.
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On the heels of the Supreme Court’s ruling to torpedo his sweeping duties, Trump is considering bypassing Congress to move ahead with another set of global 10% tariffs.
That comes as some Republicans are quietly celebrating the end of the duties, and others are open to working with the administration on a path forward for trade policy.
On tariffs, a Republican aide told Fox News that the GOP was «waiting to see what POTUS does next.»
«The State of the Union should be interesting,» they said.
politics,senate,government shutdown,homeland security
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